SAN FRANCISCO--During a keynote at the small unmanned systems business expo in San Francisco, CA today, Alta Devices' CEO, Christopher Norris, explained that small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are no longer constrained to short-range or limited flight times and are now able to fly as long as the sun is shining. This is expected to have tremendous economic value for agricultural, public safety, wildfire mapping, search and rescue, law enforcement, industrial applications, and many others.

In the past, solar solutions for powering these vehicles were either too heavy or could not produce enough power for long-range flight, or both. However, a small UAV outfitted with Alta Devices' mobile power technology can produce enough power, while adding practically no weight, to fly indefinitely under the sun.

Alta Devices manufactures the world's thinnest, most flexible, and most efficient solar material. It can be used on anything that moves, can be carried, or worn, to generate substantial power from light. In the case of a typical small UAV with a 9-foot wingspan, Alta's material can generate roughly 125W of power and weigh about 125g (about 4.5 ounces). In many cases, this is enough power to sustain flight and keep an on-board power source fully charged.

Chris Norris, Alta Devices president and CEO, explained, "A broad range of civil unmanned systems will benefit from extended range and endurance. For example, when a UAV is used to map a wildfire, or on a human search and rescue mission, it is critical to have flight times that are as long as possible." And for agricultural use, the ability to extend the range of a UAV and shorten the task of monitoring a large area by avoiding stops to recharge, has significant economic benefit to the farming community. According to a report published by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), precision agriculture and public safety represent over 90% of the potential for civil UAS use and will result in an economic benefit to the United States of 82 billion dollars between 2015 and 2025.

Gretchen West, executive vice president, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), said, "Efficiency and endurance are the holy grail for unmanned systems. Enabling all-day flight times for small UAVs will change the game for civil use and represents a significant market opportunity."

About Alta Devices
Alta Devices is (EM)POWERING THE UNPLUGGED WORLD™ by delivering the world's most efficient, thin and flexible mobile power technology. Converting light into electricity, Alta's technology extends the energy source of a system, and in many cases, completely cuts the traditional power cord. The solution can be completely integrated into the final system, and is ideal for use in unmanned systems, consumer electronics, automotive, remote exploration, or anywhere size, weight, and mobility matter. Alta Devices holds world records for energy conversion efficiency1, and has received funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, August Capital, Crosslink Capital, AIMCo, GE, Dow, and others. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. For more information, visit http://www.altadevices.com.

Featured Product

The ATI Robotic Tool Changer provides the flexibility to automatically change end-effectors or other peripheral tooling. These tool changers are designed to function reliably for millions of cycles at rated load while maintaining extremely high repeatability. For this reason, the ATI Tool Changer has become the number-one tool changer of choice around the world. ATI Tool Changer models cover a wide range of applications, from very small payloads to heavy payload applications requiring significantly large moment capacity.